Jack
by Jack Skellington's Mistress
Summary: Jack is afraid... where does he belong? Why is he in Halloween Town? Is there more than there seems?   Alternate Universe. [One Shot?][Dedicated to Quillian and Yumionisan!]


Hopefully this story isn't so spectacularly bad! I wrote it all in about fifteen minutes, because I had this idea and I wanted to writr down some notes for a story, then I found I had _written_ the story already...

I have no idea if this will be a one-shot, or if I'll continue. It depends on if it's liked or, well, a flop.

xxx

* * *

Jack Skellington circled his grave, found on a cold, blistering day by the clown with the tear-away face who, as it happened, had only been inside the graveyard that one time. It had only taken him a few moments to place his and Jack's grave out of three hundred odd, and he hadn't been back since. _How is it, _Jack thought with wonder, _that somebody can find their body in seconds, but others continue looking? _

Strange thoughts passed through his head. Juggling, judging, jostling, jelly beans, Jack. Nothing made sense, nothing was connected. How was it, he could walk through a door in a tree and into another world? And then, as if that wasn't enough, he could _choose _a world; all he had to know was the right door. But he always had to return here, to Halloween Town.

Here, where so many memories taunted him like the jeering ghosts, or the hissing, spitting black cats.

Running a finger over his name on the headstone, Jack wondered if anyone in Christmas Town ever got tired of their place. Tired of living in constant celebration of something nobody really knew the meaning of, only that it was celebrated by their parents, and them in turn. Were there rules about this type of thing? And who did you ask any questions to?

Jack threw down a small bunch of gray flowers gathered together in a black ribbon, and stalked off to his house, where Zero would be waiting for him.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Jack struck a fire with his brittle fingers, lavishing at the warmth after a long day. He strode back to his desk, where blank parchment and black-inked quill waited for him to decide what to put into words. Nothing came to mind as he chewed at the feathery quill, nor did anything become clearer when he fell off his seat.

Outside, an old man had suddenly appeared. He wore a gray tailcoat, a pocket watch pinned neatly to the breast, pinstriped pants and a gray bowler hat. There was no indication as to where he came from, nor what he was doing there, but he continued to stare up at the stars as though he would be there for some time.

Jack opened the window wearily; while the man didn't seem to be doing any harm, the Mayor would still want to know he was here.

"Excuse me? Are you looking for someone?" Jack called, cupping a hand around his mouth.

The man focused his eyes on Jack, smiled and beckoned him down, before turning back to the sky. Galloping four steps at a time, Jack climbed down the stairs and out into the night. At closer view, the man was quite short, and has wisps of white hair the texture of fairy floss poking from under his bowler hat.

"You ask a lot of questions, Jack." the man observed. Finding this quite odd, as he hadn't said anything yet, Jack began to speak but was cut short.

"No need to explain; nothing wrong with a few questions. But the ones you ask...They're quite big."

They stood in silence. Jack knew not what to say, but he knew that this man somehow understood the questions he'd been about to put to paper; why was he in _this _world, now he was dead? Could he ever be brought back to the Real World?

"Acceptance of your death, Jack, seemed to come quite quickly and naturally for you. We thought you might question things, but you were quite content to believe what the others had; that everyone who died came here. You busied yourself with celebrations and good company, many influential friends and became Pumpkin King... so why now? Why do you ask these things of yourself now, Jack? Why not when it all began?"

Swallowing loudly, Jack leaned against the bricks. "It was taught; you died, this is where you ended up. And nobody knew about any other worlds."

The man took off his hat, bend down gingerly and sat cross legged on the cold ground. "Now is the time to ask any questions, Jack. You will not receive this chance again."

"Why was I put into this world, when I died? What I did in my life, did that affect it? Am I allowed to change worlds, become a part of another one? If so, would my appearance alter to allow me to fit? Could Sally come with me? And if there are worlds to chose from, in the form of doors in the trees, is it possible to find a door to the real world and go back and live again?"

The man laughed, then pensively closed his eyes before answering.

"When you died Jack, you did not go quietly, or quickly for that matter. You were in pain, you were confused, and you were afraid. Those things are commonly associated with Halloween Town. And I believe there was a time in your life you were quite fond of scaring people; it was your job. Do you remember?"

Jack shook his head; he remembered little of his life.

"Well, there is a time for that, and this is not it. On with the answers. Change worlds... hmmm. It has never been done before; we choose worlds carefully for our clients, make the best decisions possible. Think about that. We chose this world because it connected you and your past. To move to a new world...you would be so out of place, Jack. People would be scared of a skeleton in another world, whereas here it's normal business. I won't deny you though, and Sally too. If it is what you truly want, then go. But know this; you would be banished forever from this land. Is that what you want?"

Jack's head seemed to swell with the sheer enormity of this new information he had gained. He didn't know what to say, so he kept quiet.

"And of course, the biggest question of all. The one true secret. There is one door, yes, that may permit you back into the Real World. However, find it, which is near impossible enough, and you will erase everything. You will erase the time you had here, Sally's love for you, all you have learnt. You would remember nothing of this world, nor of any doors leading to any other worlds. You would have a simple life again, Jack. Not only that, you wouldn't remember what you had done wrong in that world in your first experience, so you wouldn't learn." The man stood and offered a hand to Jack, who pulled himself up by it.

"Make your decision now, Jack. Your old life, the one you have now, or the one you most desperately desire?"

Jack had already made his decision; he didn't remember his life, who could tell what sort of thing he had been through, and what he could go through again? As for his ideal life...it was looking less ideal. If he'd wanted people to run away in fear from him, he could stay here. At least here they could laugh about it afterwards. Here, where he belonged.

"My place is right here, in Halloween Town. As Pumpkin King, as Sally's husband, as Jack Skellington. This is my true home."

The man smiled slightly and nodded, understanding completely.

"Never have I met such a complex individual. Know, Jack, that no matter how big the world seems, and how cold the nights are, there will always be people looking out for you. Always a family, somewhere far away, missing you."

And in this moment, Jack knew that the man with the gray hat was his father, and that he was part of a whole group of people who had made every world and everything in it, and Jack knew that this was the last time he would see his father again. The last time he would get advice, comfort. From now on, he was alone in the world. He made his own path now.

Jack looked up to thank his father.

He had gone.


End file.
